In major industrial countries significant resources are dedicated to creating, processing and distributing information. To best utilize these assets, research has been directed toward information management efforts including how to best present the information to enhance its utilization. To this end, various systems have been proposed for providing high quality transmission of images with and without supporting text.
Technological support for information distribution has produced electronic systems for creating, compiling, editing, storing, accessing, and distributing high resolution image information. These technologies are directed to producing and/or supporting a paperless work environment wherein data is transmitted electronically over dedicated and public networks. As communications capabilities for the transmission of data have been enhanced by modern technologies, the forms of information transmitted have correspondingly grown.
Initial attempts at electronic information transfer were limited to the bilevel signaling of a single channel American Morse signal, followed by more sophisticated modulation techniques supporting analog speech, low and medium resolution facsimile images, digital data and slow and fast scan television signals.
Image management systems offer high resolution digital image data using computer workstations. The workstations include powerful processors, large memories and high resolution bit-mapped displays providing 1,200 by 900 pixels (picture elements) or greater display resolution. Information for each pixel includes multiple level bit intensity information to create various shades of a gray scale and may include pixel color information. For example, by representing each pixel by 8 bits of intensity data, 256 intensity levels can be displayed. Bit color information can be stored as separate intensity levels for each of the primary colors, red, green and blue. Using windowing techniques, multiple images can be concurrently displayed on a monitor.
In a multi-media, multi-source information retrieval system, both textual and image data is made avaiable to a system user on a display and/or hard-copy printing device. Multi-media workstations combine high resolution images with supporting text, data and other media including video while separately maintaining the underlying image and text data. Images are typically stored as bit-mapped data described above and text as string data is stored using conventional encoding standards such as ASCII.
Textual information provided to a user is available from several sources including other users, private and commercial data bases, and automated electronic information services. High resolution image data is available from similar sources and may include medical imaging data, photographic images, electronic graphics, frame grabber television pictures, etc. The original input image data can be manipulated and combined with other displayable data including other images and text to form "composite" image data.
Duehran et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,918,722 describes a method for sending a selected message comprising binary encoded character data or facsimile encoded data stored at a first location to any specified remote location accessible from the first location via the public switched telephone network. The method includes the steps of storing the messages at the first location and thereafter receiving at the first location via the public switched telephone network, delivery commands issued by any remote telephone device identifying the selected message and specified remote location. The commands are decoded to identify the selected message and specified remote location and the selected message is recovered from the stored messages. A telephone call is initiated to the specified remote location and sent to a facsimile capable receiving device at the specified remote location via the public switched telephone network in a facsimile compatible form.
Gordon et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,184 is directed to facsimile message transmission between end devices via a public switched telephone network and a "process intermediary unit." The purpose of this arrangement is to eliminate the need for the subscriber at the destination to have a dedicated telephone line while giving the appearance at the originating device of dedicated line transmission.
The intermediary unit includes a block of telephone number addresses (TNA's) which may be leased or purchased. These addresses, which are associated with particular subscribers, do not represent dedicated telephone lines. When used, communication is established with a "local node" by means of a DID trunk line if one is available. For long distance communication, a number of local nodes are interconnected by a digital data transmission network. At least some of the transmitting/receiving devices have unique telephone number addresses which, when used, results in telephone connection with the intermediary unit, the telephone number addresses being recorded and used by the intermediary unit to identify the receiving devices to which data is to be transmitted.
Gillon et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,922,348 is directed to communication of facsimile data. Facsimile image signals are transmitted from facsimile sources by means of simple standard user interfaces and the telephone lines. A facsimile call is set up by dialing a destination number to automatically route to data storage facilities of a switched network. Facsimile data stored in the network is transmitted to a facsimile destination. The switched network may be a private switched network, a public switched network or a private branch exchange. The network may be arranged to distribute a facsimile document to a plurality of destinations with only one transmission from any source. If the destination is unavailable, the facsimile signals can be stored until the destination becomes available.
Neudorfer Pat. No. 4,935,955 is directed to a system for interfacing central office facsimile telephone lines and internal office facsimile machines. Roll-over lines from the central office are utilized to automatically sequence up from the main facsimile telephone number as additional facsimile transmissions arrive. Incoming and outgoing facsimile transmission data is placed in memory storage after being received and before being transmitted. The combination of rollover and memory storage makes the system transparent to the outside sender, since all incoming facsimile transmissions dial the same main telephone number. Similarly, outgoing messages are transparent to the internal facsimile machine operators, since their messages are sent to the interface unit, stored in memory and then sent out over the next free facsimile telephone line.
Baran et al Pat. No. 4,893,333 describes an interactive facsimile system and method of information retrieval which permits unmodified CCITT (Consultative Committee for International Telephony and Telegraphy) Group III and IV facsimile transceivers to interactively select and retrieve facsimile pages from a shared facsimile database fax serve system. The remote facsimile transceiver user marks a paper selector sheet form using a pencil or pen. The selector sheet is transmitted via the remote facsimile transmitter to the fax server unit. The fax server unit processes the facsimile signal rapidly, interpreting the selector sheet and selecting the pages desired to be retrieved prior to the normal CCITT time out. In this way the requested information may be returned during the same telephone call. Alternatively the fax server initiates an automatic call back with the information desired. The system permits facsimile transceivers to be used as interactive terminals for selective retrieval of text and graphics, without requiring alphanumeric keyboard interaction or the need for manual intervention.
Takavama Pat. No. 4,491,873 describes a common control system for controlling a plurality of facsimile terminal apparatuses. A buffer memory is provided for storing picture data. The contents of the buffer memory is then stored in a magnetic disk memory having a large storage capacity. Contents of the disk memory are transferred to another facsimile terminal. The control system receives picture signal information from outside fax terminals. This received data is stored in a first-in, first-out (FIFO) memory, decoded and stored in a buffer memory, and thereafter transferred to a disk memory. The image signal can be retrieved from the disk memory, transferred to the buffer memory and transmitted to a designated facsimile terminal.
While various systems for providing and processing image data are available, and more are under development, the systems are not easily integrated to accommodate sharing and distribution of information between systems. Local networks interconnect workstations at a user site and gateways can be used to interface the local network with other similar systems. However, because of incompatibility between systems, interfacing between different systems is difficult or impractical. Due to initial costs of system procurement, training, and maintenance of a particular imaging or multi-media system, users are reluctant to invest in present state-of-the-art systems which may be obsolete in the near future. Still another problem with present imaging systems is unavailability of compatible image data bases. A further shortcoming of imaging systems is the relatively high start-up costs of required software and hardware.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a system providing remote centralized or distributed image processing.
Another object of the invention is to integrate users of different systems into a distributed processing system using available hardware.
Still another object of the invention is to provide automatic data routing between and among users according to scripted routing maps.
A still further object of the invention is automatic user identification for access verification and billing purposes.